Large format Baraque Michel

My favourite film format at this moment is large format 4×5 black and white film. For me using a large format camera with all its possibilities and limitations is the pinnacle of experiencing the photographic process out and about in nature.

When I am on a large format trip I have 4 loaded film-holders with me. That means I can take 8 photographs in total. In our world of digital content that is a minute number. But for me that is more then enough. The search for interesting compositions takes time and the weather and light conditions have a big influence on taking interesting images and certainly photographs for my portfolio.

Large format photography is a slow process. Setting up the camera, composing for the scene, manual focusing, loading the film, metering the scene for the best exposure is all part of the time consuming “large format dance”. On large format trips I hope to shoot 2 to 4 selected scenes. Of each scene I usually take 2 images. Allways 1 shot for backup.

The last two weekends the weather was somewhat favourable for going out with the large format camera. I went two times to the Baraque Michel; almost the highest point of Belgium. The first trip I had some foggy and calm conditions. However a big part of my second trip to Noir Flohay at the Baraque Michel, was rainy and stormy. It took a lot of effort to keep the camera, the lenses and the film dry. Due to the boggy and wet terrain the hike to Noir Flohay was more like a survival trip. But I managed to take some images anyway. The featured photograph of this post I shot on that trip.

Until now, on all of my large format trips I used Fomapan 200 and Fomapan 400 film. I developed the exposed film at home, scanned the negatives with my Fujifilm XT3 camera and processed the images (stitching, converting, editing etc.) with Affinity Photo and Capture One.

Although all my images on my website are heavily compressed it is always advisable to look at my website on a computer screen and not a smart phone. However the best way to admire a large format photograph is to look at it in person on a print.